Course Description:

This introductory continuing education course provides physical therapists and physical therapist assistants with a practical foundation in the vestibular system and its role in balance, gaze stability, and spatial orientation. Participants will review relevant anatomy and physiology of the peripheral and central vestibular systems, including the semicircular canals, otolith organs, vestibular nerve, and key central connections.
The course emphasizes a systematic vestibular examination, including subjective history, screening for red flags, oculomotor testing, positional testing, balance and gait assessment, and differential considerations for peripheral versus central vestibular disorders. Evidence-based treatment strategies are introduced, such as canalith repositioning maneuvers, vestibular adaptation and habituation exercises, gaze stabilization, balance training, and patient education. By the end of the course, learners will be able to confidently recognize common vestibular presentations and apply basic, safe, and effective intervention strategies in clinical practice.